MANILA, Philippines - Filipinos in various parts of the country witnessed a partial solar eclipse yesterday.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said the astronomical event was observed in Metro Manila, Baguio City, Puerto Princesa, Legazpi City, Davao and Jolo, Sulu.
A solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes between the earth and the sun, thereby totally or partially obscuring the image of the sun as it is viewed from the earth.
The weather bureau said the eclipse was also seen in Indonesia, Hawaii, Malaysia, Japan and China.
Astronomy enthusiasts gathered at the Manila Observatory located at the Ateneo de Manila University in Quezon City to witness the event, which started before 6 a.m. and ended a little past 7 a.m. yesterday.
The Philippines only experienced a partial solar eclipse, while some parts of China, Japan and Northern America experienced an annular eclipse, PAGASA said.
According to PAGASA, an annular eclipse occurs “when the moon’s apparent diameter is smaller than the sun, causing the sun to look like an annulus (ring), blocking most of the sun’s light.”
The next solar eclipse will be on Nov. 13, PAGASA said.